Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Motherwell versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Motherwell versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,517 in Motherwell versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Motherwell is roughly 78% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Motherwell is 67% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 £14.86

$11.61 MX$201

72.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 £60.5

$42.75 MX$742

91.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 £7.52

$10.60 MX$184

-4.25%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.54

$3.59 MX$62.3

33.15%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 £1.76

$1.45 MX$25.21

64.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.23

$0.90 MX$15.58

85.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 £4.57

$3.03 MX$52.6

103.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 £4.66

$4.56 MX$79.2

37.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.45 MX$25.20

13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.83 MX$31.72

-13.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 £1.71

$1.61 MX$27.92

43.48%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.94

$2.54 MX$44.05

56.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 £7.48

$8.54 MX$148

18.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 £6.49

$8.47 MX$147

3.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 £10.21

$10.86 MX$189

26.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.34

$2.73 MX$47.37

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.49 MX$25.91

6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$1.94 MX$33.73

44.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.61

$2.16 MX$37.57

63.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.85 MX$32.05

-11.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$2.19 MX$38.00

-31.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.79

$1.07 MX$18.62

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.08 MX$18.81

39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.97 £14.05

$4.06 MX$70.5

367.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 £8.01

$10.46 MX$182

3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 £1.98

$1.65 MX$28.71

62.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.37

$2.55 MX$44.23

25.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 £2.51

$0.56 MX$9.65

503.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 £66.6

$26.20 MX$455

243.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 £4.13

$3.14 MX$54.5

77.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.12

$2.37 MX$41.17

-35.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.55 £17.45

$3.24 MX$56.2

626.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.31 MX$22.81

42.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.7K £28.7K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

26.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.2K £30.5K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

73.03%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$295 £218

$83.1 MX$1,443

254.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.43 £12.91

$22.15 MX$385

-21.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.61 £31.57

$29.37 MX$510

45.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 £34.64

$51.2 MX$889

-8.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 £5.05

$18.69 MX$324

-63.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 £9.93

$4.89 MX$84.9

174.03%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,588 £1,177

$199 MX$3,449

699.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$5,207 MX$90.4K

248.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 £61.3

$35.93 MX$624

130.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 £32.22

$39.39 MX$684

10.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 £68.8

$80.3 MX$1,394

15.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 £72.6

$87.6 MX$1,520

11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 £897

$963 MX$16.7K

25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 £736

$482 MX$8,370

106.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 £1,534

$1,645 MX$28.6K

25.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 £1,236

$1,192 MX$20.7K

39.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,606 £2,672

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-8.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Motherwell: April 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,210 in Motherwell and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82 in Motherwell vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $253 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Motherwell vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,377 in Motherwell and $1,894 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,210 in Motherwell versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Motherwell. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $82.0 in Motherwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,251 in Motherwell, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Motherwell. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Motherwell, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Motherwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.